My Wedding Day, Their Marriage Certificate Chapter 04

My Wedding Day, Their Marriage Certificate Chapter 04

The moment she said it, the whole room erupted.

Curious, judgmental looks landed on me from every direction, scraping over me again and again.

After my mother saw the names on the marriage certificate, her face flushed with fury.

She stepped in front of me protectively and snapped back, “What nonsense are you talking about? My daughter has been with Ethan for eight years. If anyone here is the other woman, it’s you.”

My eyes stung as I stared at my mother’s back.

Laurel’s expression shifted slightly, but she held the marriage certificate up for everyone to see.

“We’re legally married. If she isn’t the other woman, then what is she?”

“I heard you were someone’s mistress too. You got pregnant and were thrown out by the man’s real wife. With a mother like you teaching her by example, how decent could your daughter possibly be?”

A rage I had never felt before surged through me.

I lunged forward, ready to hit Laurel.

“Don’t you dare insult my mother.”

Ethan stepped in and pinned my arms down, holding me tightly in place.

Suddenly, someone gasped behind me. I turned and saw my mother’s face go deathly pale as she clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor.

“Mom!”

I broke free from Ethan and ran toward her, my tears dropping hard onto the floor.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone.

“Mom, hold on. I’m calling…”

Before I could finish, my phone was kicked away. Laurel stood in front of me, covering her face, her expression twisted with anger.

“Claire Ashford, if you don’t kneel and knock your head to the floor ninety-nine times today, you can forget about saving your mother.”

I crawled forward to grab my phone, but Laurel kicked it away again.

Ethan’s face turned livid.

“Claire, kneel and apologize to Laurel. Your mother was just startled. She won’t die. Laurel’s reputation matters more right now.”

Tears hit the floor as my voice trembled.

“She insulted my mother first…”

His eyes were calm, and every word cut straight to the bone.

“She is my legal wife. When you hit her, you humiliated me. Apologize.”

Laurel pretended to plead with him, but Ethan only held her more gently.

“No. I can’t bear to see you suffer even the slightest wrong.”

After eight years together, he wanted me to kneel in front of everyone to establish her place in front of everyone.

“Claire, if you drag this out any longer, your mother might…”

Laurel’s words cut like a knife. I closed my eyes and slowly sank to my knees.

Once.

Twice.

By the time I finished all ninety-nine kowtows, my forehead was a bloody mess.

My mother’s breathing had grown weaker and weaker.

And still, it was not enough.

“Claire, take off the dress and give it to Laurel.”

“Your mother’s condition can’t be delayed, but my wedding has to continue too.”

Numbly, I took off the wedding dress and threw it onto the floor, watching as Ethan carried Laurel away amid the blessings of the crowd.

When the ambulance siren finally wailed outside, I crawled on my knees back to my mother.

The light in her eyes had already gone dim.

“Claire, this is all my fault…”

“I was the mistress. I deserved to die. But my Claire never deserved this kind of humiliation…”

She stroked my forehead, then bit down hard on her own tongue.

Blood filled my vision, and every rational thought vanished.

“Mom!”

The paramedics rushed forward and tried to save her, but in the end, one of them shook his head.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry. The patient has passed. Please accept our condolences.”

My mother had chosen death because of me.

She wanted me to stop accepting humiliation.

So with trembling hands, I sent Ethan one last message.